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Training Requirements & ResourcesFoster parents are required to each complete 12 hours of training a year to meet ongoing licensing requirements.Below are the mandatory training topics required once licensed. For any online training- if you do not receive a certificate or complete a post test, be sure to document on your training log the name and date you completed the training.

Children’s Mental HealthStatute requires at least 1 hour of training a year be on children's mental health. Both video options below meet this training requirement:

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)Statute requires at least 1 hour of training a year be on FASD. The below video and post test meets this requirement.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death/Abusive Head Trauma (SUID/AHT)Training on SUID/AHT is required every 5 years when caring for children age 5 and younger. You have 2 training options:
1. Develop - Use the search tool to locate online and in-person SUID & AHT classes. There is a fee to take these classes
2. DHS approved videos - be sure to complete the training verification form located at the bottom of the page

Children And Restraint System (C.A.R.S.)Child passenger safety C.A.R.S. training is required every 5 years if you are caring for children under age 9. Contact your licensor for a list of classes available locally.

Normalcy & Reasonable and Prudent ParentingChildren and youth in foster care need to experience the same types of developmentally appropriate and social activities that their friends, families, and classmates who are not in care experience. This law permits foster parents to allow foster children to participate in normal childhood activities by applying the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

Smoke-Free Child Foster HomeIn Minnesota, all child foster care homes must be smoke free and prevent second hand exposure to children per Minnesota Statute 260C.215, Subd. 4, 6 & 9. This includes inside the home as well as any space connected to the home, such as a garage, porch, deck, or similar space; all outdoor areas on the premises of the home when a foster child is present; and in a motor vehicle in which a foster child is transported. If a foster parent fails to provide a smoke-free environment for a foster child, the child-placing agency must ask the foster parent to comply with a plan that includes training on the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke. Below is a link to the training video and the self study test to show completion of the video.Smoke Free Foster Care VideoPost TestWhen Serving Children Age 18 and OverWhen an individual age 18 is placed or an existing child in placement turns 18, Minnesota legislation requires child foster care providers to meet certain training requirements and have certain policies, procedures, and forms in place.

Other Possible Training OptionsThe following websites are not necessarily endorsed by Stevens County. Contact your licensor to verify if the training is appropriate and would be approved toward training hours.